


Lending a Hand

by Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate/pseuds/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate
Summary: Bismuth didn't know what "limb enhancers" were, but she could tell that Peridot missed them a great deal.





	Lending a Hand

Robotics had never really been her strong suit.

Bismuths made buildings - that much was true. They were created specifically for the purpose of carrying heavy objects and following blueprints. They hammered nails and chiseled marble and maybe occasionally welded something or other, but machines? No, that was a Peridot's job. Even when Bismuth moved from construction to weapon-making, she usually just made swords, hammers, maces, and the like. Nothing too advanced.

But of course, she couldn't exactly ask Peridot for help in this particular instance, could she? That would spoil the whole purpose of the surprise she had in store, and there were few things Bismuth hated more than a ruined surprise.

When she had first met Peridot, she did not take much note of her stature. To her, a Gem was a Gem, regardless of the labels that Homeworld forced upon them. The word "defective" had never once passed her lips in the thousands of years she had been alive, and she refused to ever let it happen.

But, according to Peridot, she was technically not "defective." From what Bismuth could gather since her release, Homeworld had been going through somewhat of a resource crisis, and the lower-class Gems tended to get the shorter end of the stick as a result - as in, they came out short. Peridots were considered particularly expendable, since they didn't really need height or strength to do their jobs anyway. So, her small size was apparently the new "normal" on Homeworld, at least for Era 2 Peridots.

To compensate for this, she said, all short Peridots were given robotic limb enhancers to mask their shortness and provide them with the proper equipment required of a technician. They always had a screen on-hand that they could simply project from their fingers, which floated in the air to allow for better multitasking. They could fly by turning these fingers into propellers. They could record logs and take notes and do all kinds of things that, in Bismuth's day, were simply done on tablets and computers. Times really had changed since she had been bubbled.

But alas, Peridot would often lament, she no longer had her limb enhancers. They had been tossed into the sea by Amethyst shortly after her "capture," back when she still served under Yellow Diamond and worked on the Cluster. Now, of course, she wouldn't trade them for the Crystal Gems, but Bismuth could tell that she still missed them sometimes.

Bismuth was good at reading people. Nobody would have guessed at a first glance, but those close to her knew that it was impossible to hide their true emotions from her for long. This was especially true in the case of Peridot, as she tended to be a very expressive Gem even when she wanted to mask what she was feeling.

Whenever she talked about her limb enhancers, she got a wistful look on her face, like she was remembering something...pleasant? In Bismuth's opinion, nothing about Homeworld was pleasant, but she had to admit that she felt bad seeing Peridot snap back to reality and furrow her brow in disappointment upon remembering her small stature.

That was why Bismuth was working away in her forge, poring over detailed blueprints that had been hastily scribbled over or crumpled up. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to wrap her head around the technology that Homeworld was apparently using for their everyday lives. The most advanced thing she had ever made was the laser light cannons belonging to Rose, but even their construction required aid from a Gem more suited to non-melee weaponry.

But if Bismuth was anything, she was stubborn, and she refused to admit defeat. She would figure it out sooner or later, right? After all, she was a smart Gem, and if the dumb rocks on Homeworld could discover how to make some stupid limbs with built-in supercomputers, surely she could, too.

Sadly, it was easier said than done. Bismuth sighed and slammed her head down onto the surface of her worktable for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Stupid Homeworld," she murmured, her voice muffled by the desk's thick surface, "stupid Era 2 technology."

It was unfair, she thought somewhat childishly. It was unfair that Peridots had to rely so much on the Diamonds and their power instead of their own. Every Peridot that had joined the Crystal Gems had been thoughtful, witty, and fully capable of defending themselves with or without technology to help them. While this Peridot was certainly independent, she still had little control over her powers and needed some way to fight until she mastered them. Limb enhancers were a perfect substitute, Bismuth figured. If only she knew how to make them.

Briefly, she considered asking Pearl for help, but decided against it. She didn’t want anybody to know about her special surprise, even if it wasn’t for them. She could do it on her own, no matter what anybody said.

She just hoped Peridot would like the finished product.

* * *

The day was bright and breezy as Bismuth marched across the beach, trying to look as casual as possible. She was sure that the crate she was carrying would inevitably raise a few eyebrows, but Steven had once told her that it was customary to give people presents in decorated boxes. With this in mind, Bismuth had attempted to carve intricate patterns into the metal crate that contained Peridot’s new limb enhancers. She thought she had done a pretty decent job - she had always been pretty good at decorating for someone with such large hands.

She spotted Peridot sitting on the porch, tinkering away at one of her “meep morps” at the table. In Bismuth’s opinion, mashing random objects together was an...unusual way of expressing oneself, but she could respect it as a fellow artisan. Besides, that was basically how she had crafted the limb enhancers in the first place.

She approached her as she would any other Crystal Gem; with a cool, collected demeanor and a friendly smile.

“Heya, Tiny,” she said, using the affectionate nickname she had given her on Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding day. “Whatcha doin’?”

Peridot didn’t look up from her work. “Trying to fix this stupid clodding piece of junk,” she grumbled angrily. “I’ve been working at it all morning, but it still keeps falling apart!”

Bismuth looked down at the project that Peridot was currently working on. Apparently, she was attempting to attach various pieces of Earth technology that Bismuth did not recognize.

“I...see,” she replied hesitantly. “Well, if you’re not too busy, I was actually plannin’ on showin’ ya somethin’.”

“Hold on a moment.” Peridot held up a hand and furrowed her brow in deep concentration. Finally, after a brief period of silence, something in her device clicked, and she beamed in satisfaction. “Aha!”

She stood back to admire her work, displaying it proudly to Bismuth. It was some kind of machine with a whirring mechanism in the center.

“Uh...what does it do?”

“Excellent question! Behold!” Peridot reached into a basket nearby and produced a bunch of flowers, which she slid into a slot at the machine’s base. The flowers were shot out of the machine in every direction, some of them smacking each of the Gems in the face. Despite this, Peridot seemed pleased with herself.

“What do you think?” she asked, puffing out her chest in pride. “It’s a flower deployer. While it’s partially inspired by the recent union between the Garnet’s two components, it is also meant to represent the chaos of the epic battle that ensued afterwards!” She made frantic gestures with her hands as she spoke. “The chaos, the confusion, debris flying here and there - and on what should have been a joyous occasion! That is the embodiment of this morp. Conflicting emotions!”

“Oh.” Bismuth looked back and forth between the machine and the little Gem and couldn’t help but feel a little impressed. She let out a hearty laugh and slapped Peridot on the back. “Ha! Well, it’s not somethin’ ya see everyday, but that’s what makes Earth so special, huh?”

Peridot had to grab the table in order to keep herself from collapsing due to Bismuth’s overwhelming strength. “Yes, indeed. Homeworld couldn’t possibly comprehend the deep, intellectual meaning behind this morp.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bismuth wrapped an arm around Peridot, easily sweeping her entire body away from her worktable. “Those stuffy old Gem elites may think they’ve got it all, but they don’t know what freedom really is!”

Peridot shuffled uncomfortably and cleared her throat. “Ahem...you said you wanted to show me something, correct?”

Bismuth blinked, having apparently forgotten the purpose of her visit. Then, she remembered the large metal crate she had behind her and grinned. “Oh, yeah! I gotta present for ya!”

“A...present?” It had been a while since Peridot had received a gift. She scrambled to recall the appropriate response that Steven had taught her. “Wow, thanks.”

Bismuth winked and stepped aside to reveal her present. Peridot marvelled at the intricate carvings, her eyebrows now raised in considerable intrigue.

“Uh…” Bismuth chuckled, “y’know you can open it now, right?”

Peridot nearly jumped at the sound of Bismuth’s voice and tentatively reached over to open the crate. It was harder to open than she had initially expected, but that only made her mind wander in excitement. She tried to imagine what could be inside the box - a robot? A weapon? A pile of potential meep morp parts?

When she finally gave up on opening the present herself, she simply used her ferrokinesis to lift the lid. Upon seeing what awaited her, however, she froze in shock, causing the lid to plummet to the ground with a _clunk._

“Oh my stars…”

Bismuth rubbed the back of her neck. “Heh...whaddaya think?”

Peridot said nothing. She just continued to stare at the contents of the crate, mouth wide open in surprise.

The limb enhancers were sleek and shiny, painted a dark forest green that contrasted nicely with Peridot’s lighter green skin. Stars adorned the back of the hands and the base of the boots, solidifying her position as a Crystal Gem. There was a protective padding over the joints made out of some kind of soft, pliable material. In the end, it resembled armor more than it did robotic limbs.

Bismuth, a bit worried by Peridot’s uncharacteristic silence, cleared her throat a bit awkwardly. “Do, uh...do ya like it?”

Peridot blinked, snapping out of her trance. She gazed up at Bismuth with wide, starry eyes that seemed to shine through her visor.

“I’ll…have to try them on first!” she replied, trying to hide her giddiness. Bismuth stifled a chuckle.

“Of course you can! I made ‘em for ya, after all!”

Eagerly, Peridot scrambled over to the limb enhancers, pulling on one of the armpieces with a shaky hand. Bismuth laughed and bent down to help her.

“Hey, hey, easy!” She gently removed the armpiece and assessed it for damage. Thankfully, there wasn’t any. “Ya gotta be careful. I didn’t exactly test this thing out on anybody, seein’ as you’re the only Gem who has experience with this sorta thing.”

Peridot’s face turned a darker shade of green as she hastily let Bismuth adjust the limb enhancer. She straightened up, trying to look as professional as possible.

“Yes, of course. These limb enhancers are...different from the ones that I was accustomed to on Homeworld.”

Bismuth pulled the remaining pieces out of the crate and sat down directly behind Peridot, still managing to tower over her despite her lower position. “Here, lemme help. There are little straps inside that are kinda hard to put on.”

She wasn’t wrong. Peridot was having difficulty slinging her arm through one of the bands. They had been present in her old limb enhancers, too, but she never had much of a reason to take them off, so she was unused to putting them back on again. Bismuth held the armpieces steady for her, though, allowing her to slip both of them on. They fit comfortably - there was a soft padding inside that hugged her arms without being too restrictive. Homeworld had never bothered to take personal comfort into consideration, so Peridot appreciated this greatly.

“Ya might need help puttin’ the legs on,” Bismuth remarked, “unless you’ve already gotten a _hold_ of the hands.”

The pun flew right over Peridot’s head, but she laughed anyway, since she was told that was the polite thing to do when somebody told a joke (at least, she assumed it was a joke, given Bismuth’s humorous expression).

Experimentally, Peridot moved her hands around and watched the fingers of the glove mimic her motions. The armpieces were too long for her hands to reach the gloves, but thankfully her ferrokinesis allowed her to control the fingers with ease. ...Well, some ease. It was still a bit difficult to get used to, having just put them on.

“Want me to help ya with the legs?” Bismuth offered. “I figured it might take ya a while to get used to controlling the hands and all.”

Peridot fumbled a little, trying to grab the legs from their position behind her, and promptly fell over onto her back. She sighed in defeat. “I suppose.”

Bismuth knelt behind the smaller Gem and took a boot from the crate, wrapping her arms around her to attach it. Peridot flushed and tried to stay still as her teammate slid the boot over her leg. For some reason, she found it hard to keep calm when somebody so large was practically embracing her. Maybe it was just the size difference that flustered her? Yes, she reasoned, it was probably the size difference.

Bismuth’s hands were surprisingly gentle, her motions precise and delicate as she helped Peridot fit into her new limb enhancers. There was a little slot inside that she could slip her feet into, akin to stilts.

She moved around a bit to make sure she was secure, impressed by Bismuth’s handiwork. She had never thought such a Gem to be capable of such minute, complicated craftsmanship. On Homeworld, Bismuths were assigned to large-scale construction jobs, not...this. And yet, if there was one thing Peridot had learned since coming to Earth, it was that every Gem had the potential to surprise her.

“Alright, there ya go!” Bismuth exclaimed, standing up and dusting off her hands. “Try standin’ up! See how they feel!”

Peridot planted her hands on the ground and pushed up slowly, carefully. She wobbled a little, but her natural sense of balance quickly kicked in and she was able to steady herself almost immediately. Though it had been nearly a year since the last time she had worn limb enhancers, the programming in her gem made it easy for her to move around in them for the most part.

“They’re…” Peridot began, still in awe of the attention to detail that had gone into the creation of her gift. “Incredible…! How in the world did you manage to make them all by yourself?”

Bismuth tried to look modest, though she was evidently proud of herself. “Aw, y’know, I managed. Us Bismuths know how to make do with what we got.”

Peridot lifted a leg and tried walking. While it was still a bit wonky, she found herself easily able to take a few steps forward. She turned to Bismuth, eyes wide in shock. “And you didn’t have any technological resources at your disposal?”

Bismuth laughed somewhat sheepishly. “Nope. They don’t have any of the fancy features you’re probably used to. You can add ‘em on if you want, though.”

“Of course, but…” For once, Peridot was rendered absolutely speechless. She had given up on ever getting her limb enhancers back long ago, but here she was, walking around like she had never lost them in the first place. These were more advanced than the makeshift stilts Steven had given her shortly after her arrival. These were crafted with the specific purpose of making sure she could move around comfortably AND gain some height.

She took a deep breath and tried not to look as excited as she felt. She failed miserably. “I know I already said this, but...wow, thanks!”

Bismuth chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, nearly causing her to stumble again. It felt unusual to be nearly face-to-face with the once-tiny Gem, but she didn’t mind in the slightest. “No problem! For a second, I thought you’d hate ‘em.”

“Stars, no!” Peridot could no longer contain her joy. “It feels great to be tall again! Wait until Amethyst sees this!”

The little Gem’s excitement filled Bismuth with delight. “Do whatever you want with ‘em! They’re all yours, after all!”

Peridot giggled somewhat childishly, relishing every step she took in her new limb enhancers. She couldn’t stop looking down at them or lifting them up for a closer examination. Her frequent movements were amusing to Bismuth, who put a hand on her shoulder.

“Okay, okay, easy, now. They’re still new, y’know.”

Peridot took a deep breath and turned to face her teammate. The look on her face was one of sincere appreciation; if Bismuth didn’t know any better, she’d say there were tears in her eyes.

“I…I am genuinely grateful to you. If there’s anything that I can do to perhaps repay-”

Bismuth waved her hand. “Ah, it’s nothin’. I don’t really want much, anyway. I got all I need right here.” She gestured to the beach around them for emphasis, though her fond gaze was focused on Peridot.

The smaller Gem stared right back, her eyes shining in contemplation. Then, she did something completely unexpected - she wrapped her arms around Bismuth in an awkward imitation of a hug. She was evidently unused to giving them compared to receiving them, but she was at least trying.

Bismuth was taken by surprise, but it didn’t take her long to reciprocate. “You call THAT a hug? C’mere!” 

Enthusiastically, she picked Peridot up and swung her around, prompting her to let out cute little shrieks. The sound amused Bismuth so much that she did it again, and again, and again until Peridot’s cry of “Okay, put me down!!” finally reached her ears.

“Oops. Sorry,” Bismuth apologized, setting Peridot on the ground. “Guess I got kinda carried away there.”

Peridot took a moment to respond, as she had to regain her balance. She stumbled around dizzily and reached out to Bismuth for support. “Y-yes, it would seem th-that way.”

Something about the way she grabbed onto her made Bismuth’s chest feel light. She shook it off; it was probably just Peridot’s excitement rubbing off on her. It was kind of infectious, really.

“So,” Bismuth began once Peridot had settled, “you said you wanted to show the others your new look?”

She brightened almost immediately. “Yes! Oh, stars, Amethyst is going to love this!” She took off running towards the temple, pausing just before she mounted the steps to the front porch. Bismuth gave her a little wave, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Peridot returned it with a small smile. Then, she clambered up the wooden stairs and disappeared into the beach house.

 _Cute little thing,_ Bismuth reflected as she watched her leave, _happy to have her on the team._

Yes. Peridot had great potential, she decided. A technician who could hold her own in combat was a valuable asset to the Crystal Gems.

...At least, that was what she told herself to try to rationalize the strange feelings of affection building in her gem.

**Author's Note:**

> ive been wanting to write a bismidot fic for a while......here ya go......i Love Them


End file.
